Netanyahu and Smotrich Launch Joint Campaign Effort, Ben-Gvir Excluded
Translated & summarized from Now 14 by baba
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Bezalel Smotrich are launching a joint campaign event called "Saving the Right" to mobilize right-wing voters for the upcoming Knesset elections. The initiative aims to build a network of thousands of activists and yeshiva students to encourage hundreds of thousands to vote. Notably, Itamar Ben-Gvir was not invited to the event, which organizers attribute to its specific focus on Religious Zionist ground operations, not a deliberate exclusion. This collaboration follows a recent surplus votes agreement between the Likud and Religious Zionism, excluding Otzma Yehudit.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Bezalel Smotrich are launching a joint campaign event titled "Saving the Right."
- The event aims to mobilize thousands of activists and yeshiva students to encourage hundreds of thousands of right-wing voters.
- Itamar Ben-Gvir, leader of Otzma Yehudit, was not invited to the campaign event.
- Organizers stated the event's focus is on Religious Zionist ground operations, not a deliberate exclusion of Ben-Gvir.
- This collaboration follows a recent surplus votes agreement between the Likud and Religious Zionism, excluding Otzma Yehudit.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Bezalel Smotrich, chairman of the Religious Zionism party, are organizing a joint campaign event aimed at mobilizing right-wing voters for the upcoming Knesset elections. The event, titled "Saving the Right," will convene dozens of senior rabbis and heads of institutions to establish a network of thousands of activists and yeshiva students. The goal is to encourage hundreds of thousands of right-wing voters to cast their ballots.
This collaboration signifies full coordination between the campaigns of Netanyahu and Smotrich, continuing a partnership that has been in place throughout the recent conflict. The event is designed to be a focused gathering, laying the groundwork for a large-scale ground operation in the final weeks before the election. The strategy involves leveraging rabbis and institutional leaders to recruit activists and students from the Religious Zionist community to drive voter turnout.
A notable aspect of the event is the absence of Itamar Ben-Gvir, leader of the Otzma Yehudit party, who was not invited. Organizers have dismissed claims of a deliberate snub, stating the event's focus is on a ground infrastructure composed of activists and yeshiva students specifically aligned with Religious Zionism, hence the joint format between Netanyahu and Smotrich only.
This situation follows a recent political tension when the Likud party signed a surplus votes agreement with Religious Zionism, bypassing Otzma Yehudit. Otzma Yehudit criticized this move, interpreting it as an attempt by the Likud to weaken their party and exclude Ben-Gvir from a future government. Likud sources have rejected this interpretation. The current operational cooperation expands beyond the surplus agreement, aiming to unite various right-wing elements, including rabbis, institutional leaders, yeshiva students, and activists, into a unified force to increase right-wing voter participation.
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